Toyota claimed its first victory at Le Mans since 2022, with the No. 7 Toyota driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries taking the win. They finished ahead of the highly favored BMW M Hybrid V8 No. 20 of Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde. The sister Toyota No. 8 completed the podium in third after leading much of the race.
Toyota’s winning strategy was decided early. Just 30 minutes into the race, both Hypercars were called into the pits for short fuel stops, allowing them to attempt an undercut on the field. Although risky, the tactic proved highly effective, helping the cars escape traffic and run in clean air.
After the first round of pit stops, the No. 8 Toyota climbed from 15th on the grid to the lead and became the main protagonist overnight. Despite a lengthy safety-car period and a drive-through penalty during a Full Course Yellow, it remained competitive. Later, however, a brake-drum issue cost the No. 8 valuable time, prompting Toyota to shift its focus to the No. 7 car.
The main challenge to Toyota came from Jota’s Cadillacs. The No. 12 Cadillac of Norman Nato, Will Stevens, and Louis Delétraz even led the race at times. The sister No. 38 Cadillac appeared capable of matching Toyota’s pace but suffered a power-steering problem before dawn and eventually retired.
BMW confirmed its growing competitiveness. The No. 20 stayed in contention throughout the race and ultimately split the Toyotas on the podium. The pole-sitting No. 15 BMW endured a difficult race after a poor opening stint and later contact with a slower car, forcing it to recover from the back of the Hypercar field.
In the closing hours, four cars battled for victory: the two Toyotas, the No. 20 BMW, and the No. 12 Cadillac. Toyota demonstrated superior pace when it mattered most, overtaking Cadillac on track. A later Full Course Yellow further played into Toyota’s hands, and the No. 7 emerged with enough of an advantage to control the final stages.
The finish remained tense when Nyck de Vries risked a penalty for exceeding track limits, but race officials took no action. Kamui Kobayashi eventually crossed the finish line with an 11-second advantage after 24 hours of racing. BMW finished second, preventing a Toyota one-two finish, while the No. 8 Toyota secured third place.
The biggest disappointment was Ferrari. After three consecutive Le Mans victories with the 499P, the Italian manufacturer was dethroned. The No. 51 Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi finished fifth, while the No. 50 Ferrari retired due to mechanical issues after already falling out of contention overnight.
Alpine showed promising pace but lacked the speed to challenge for the podium. The No. 35 car finished sixth, while the second Alpine suffered technical problems. Aston Martin’s Valkyrie No. 007 achieved an encouraging eighth-place finish. Peugeot completed the race with both 9X8s but remained uncompetitive. Genesis made its Le Mans debut, with the No. 19 finishing 13th and the No. 17 retiring due to suspension failure.
In LMP2, Inter Europol scored a dominant one-two finish, led by the No. 43 car of Jakub Śmiechowski, Nick Yelloly, and Tom Dillmann. In LMGT3, TF Sport’s Corvette No. 33 won the class ahead of the Akkodis ASP Lexus No. 78 and the Heart of Racing Aston Martin No. 23.